The Law and a Lie
by SenseiBigFish
Summary: Summary: Shingeki no Kyojin AU; Eren is a law school student who doesn't really agree with the law. The only reason he's there is to become a certified lawyer and to free his best friend, Levi who was "falsely accused". Valedictorian Armin, whose eyes are opened by Eren, helps him study to become a lawyer, but wonders why he's doing so much for someone he's just met.


Summary: Shingeki no Kyojin AU; Eren is a law school student who doesn't really agree with the law. The only reason he is there is to become a certified lawyer and to free his best friend, Levi who is locked up in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Valedictorian Armin, whose eyes are opened by Eren, helps him study to become a lawyer so he could free Levi, but wonders why he's doing so much for someone he's just met.

**DISCLAIMER:** I think if I owned SNK, so much shit would go down and not even the serious type of shit- the fan service type of shit. But you know. I try to make myself sound like a pro.

**Chapter 1**

"_Laws, borders, boundaries, limitations... They're all so pathetic. Our duty is to bring justice, not to be technical and cold_." Eren thought as he took a deep sigh, brushing his fingers through his hair in frustration. He found this system shallow; abide by the laws, live. Disobey and face the charges. Aren't there exceptions? Isn't there a more empathetic, human way of judging whether one is guilty or innocent? Eren's mind was so occupied on how he hated the brutality and poor structure of the law with its many obvious flaws, but it was ironic how he was currently attending law school. He would attend his classes, but his mind would always wander off to the same place all the time, who he was doing this for and why. Why he was bearing with the selfishness and single-mindedness of it all. As the bell rung, signalling the end of the day, Eren picked up his books and walked down the stairs of the seminar room. Before he stepped out of the room, he was met by Armin, the valedictorian. He memorized every law, and had witnessed actual lawyers at work, his parents. You could say that it runs in his family. "Eren... Hey." Armin said as he stared anywhere but at Eren. "What?" Eren frowned at the tension and awkwardness building up between them.

* * *

"God Armin, make this quick. I have shit to do." Eren complained. He didn't like how he was dragged into a coffee shop with someone he barely knew, claiming that he wanted to talk. "What else must you attend to aside from this?" Armin asked as he swirled his finger around the rim of his mug. "What are you trying to say?" Eren raised his voice, attracting attention from the other customers. Armin lowered his head. He didn't like attention. "I'm saying that you don't try hard... so I don't understand how you got into the university and how you're still there…" Armin said softly. "And am I supposed to give a shit?" Eren asked. "People actually dream and devote their heart and soul to get into this university, but they can't. Knowing that someone like you is here instead of someone who actually wants to be here... It's such a waste of time and space." Armin said, lifting his head. "I'm here, just like you. I don't need to explain myself to you, so just fuck off, puppet." Eren said, as he stood up and tossed his share of the payment onto the table and started walking away. "Wait! Eren, wait! Please..." Eren stopped and turned, glaring at Armin. "What did you mean when you called me a 'puppet'?" Armin asked. "I know that the professor sends you running around, fixing problem students like me. God, Armin! Can't you think for yourself?" Eren accused. "What else could I do? It's different when you're me! No options, no choices, no power, no voice to speak up unlike you! The only thing I can do is follow orders the best I can, especially when you're part of a family like mine." Armin defended. He bit his lip as to scold himself from attracting so much attention. He handed his share of the payment to one of the waitresses and grabbed Eren's hand and dragged him out of the coffee shop and ran. "Where the hell are you taking me? I thought I told you to make this quick!" Eren asked, clueless to where he was being dragged to and why Armin was consuming so much of his free time.

* * *

"A rooftop? Where next?" Eren complained with the little breath he had left from all the running. After calming down, Armin spoke up and said "God, Eren! Can't you just shut up? Can you just stop complaining and empathize with people who don't have the same luxury as you do?" "Why do I have to give a damn?'' Eren yelled. He didn't understand why Armin was forcing his logic onto him. Was he trying to make him guilty? Was he that much of a teacher's pet, going this far just to get him to work harder, or was this just personal? Armin grunted, then said "Give a damn and stop being an undeserving bastard. You don't have to speak to me ever again once you cooperate." "Hey, I passed the entrance exams just like you! What I do doesn't make me any less than you! As long as I stay in this university, I'll never escape from the likes of you!" How could someone he's never spoken to understand? "Why do you have to be so damn stubborn?" Armin yelled, slamming his fists onto the concrete. He was losing his patience. Armin took a breath and looked up at the sky- the salmon colored sky with strikes of yellow and a bright sun setting on the horizon. "If I can't fix you, I'm going to break." Armin said, as he looked down at his hands, gripping onto the concrete ledge which kept him from falling off the building. "What the hell are you talking about?" Eren asked, curious to what kind of turn their conversation was taking. "I'm not like a puppet, Eren. I'm like a robot. No, I am a robot. I'm controlled, I have a repetitive routine and I'm not independent, but when I look at you, I stop and think 'what am I doing?' But I can't think like that on my own. I'm too scared, but when I look at you and the other troublesome students, I'm not scared anymore… and I feel like I can break free of the control everyone has over me. You, along with the others make me question things, rebel… seeing you and other students so carefree in my high-tension world really loosens my wires… and that's not what I need right now. It's a distraction, and distractions are bothersome." Armin paused, and then he continued "When you live in a world where you're forced to fit in, your sharpest points break, you become blunt, plain… dull." Armin lifted his head to look at Eren. "Isn't that what you think of me, Eren?" not a single word was said. Only the sound of the wind broke the silence with its constant howls and whistles. "I get it. You don't have to bother with me anymore." Eren said, breaking the silence. "Eren… can't you see what I'm trying to say? I'm giving up on stopping you. You can do whatever you want." Armin said in self-defeat. "But… you just told me that I didn't belong here. I get it-" "I know what I said" Armin interrupted Eren. "I know what I said… you can forget that I ever said anything." Eren didn't understand. He didn't know whether to believe him or not. "Armin, what the fuck! I don't understand what you're trying to say! Is this just a new technique to get me to feel guilty and listen in class? Tell that fucking teacher to mind his own-" "I know what I said and just forget I said anything." Armin interrupted with a stern tone in his voice. "I… I apologize for wasting your time." Armin excused himself and left, leaving a very confused, distraught Eren.

* * *

"Well look who it is! Thanks Armin! You really helped me out with Eren!" the professor said cheerfully, giving Armin quite a number of pats on his shoulder for praise. Armin looked over at Eren. "Right…" Armin said as he walked away from his professor and up the seminar room. Throughout the day, Armin's kept his eye on Eren. He seemed to participate, to try harder. Armin sighed. Maybe Eren really didn't want anything to do with him. "_Whatever_." He thought. "_I told him to do this anyway. This is what I get for telling him he didn't deserve to be here. I was wrong about him. He's just like me, but just a little more stubborn is all_." Armin was overthinking. He was starting to assume things, things he didn't want to believe.

* * *

"God, you're back again?" Levi greeted. "If you didn't get yourself arrested, I wouldn't be having such a pain in the ass right now." Levi laughed at Eren's immature complaining. Oh his complaining. He couldn't tell whether he missed it or not. "You got yourself into this mess. Find a way out of it." Levi teased. "You really like to press my buttons, don't you?" Eren said with a slightly irritated tone. Levi laughed, and then silence filled the room. The atmosphere had changed in a matter of seconds. "I promise you, Levi. I'll get you out of there." Eren said with the look of determination in his eyes. There's only so much you can do, kid." Levi laughed, then continued "I've only been here for three months. I can wait **much longer**, Eren." "You've got a life sentence on your hands, Levi. I don't plan on taking it slow just because of that. I'm getting you out of there, and I'm doing it as soon as possible!" Eren said as he slammed his fist on the table, causing the guards to flinch, but Levi motioned them that Eren was no harm. "Do you think that becoming a certified lawyer is all it takes to get someone with a case like mine out of prison? You better start working your ass off, brat. All the money you've spent getting accepted into that college would all be for nothing, and I might even finish my life sentence." "You're time is up, boy." A guard said, glaring at the two. "Goodbye, Eren." Levi said as he stood up and was lead back to his cell. Levi's words lingered in his mind. Work harder, devote yourself… if that really was the way to set Levi free, then so be it. He would abide by the words of his closest friend.

* * *

"_Another day, a bigger disappointment_." Armin sighed as he looked over to Eren. "_I was right about him, he's just stubborn_." Armin's thoughts began wander again. Why was Eren such a big deal to him? What did Eren mean to him? He was just another problem student, so why was he overthinking the matter of Eren so much to a point that he would lose his concentration? Armin snapped out of his daze when his seatmate slipped a tiny note into his hand. "From Eren." His seatmate whispered. "Same time, same place." Armin read on the note. He was clearly confused. There seemed to be more to this than he initially thought, and it could get quite interesting.

* * *

Armin walked up the final staircase up to the rooftop and was greeted by Eren at the corner, leaning on the ledge, lighting a cigarette. "Glad you came." Eren said as he started to smoke. "What's gotten into you the past few days?" Armin asked casually as he settled across Eren, not wanting to inhale the smoke. Eren chuckled when he noticed this; "_Little goody-two-shoes Armin not wanting to second-hand smoke_." "Well?" Armin said, gaining Eren's full attention. "Don't think too highly of yourself, Armin. You're not the only one who has convinced me to get my shit together." "_Oh, he's continuing the other day's conversation_." Armin realized. "Why are you sticking around? I know that you don't agree with any of… 'this'." Armin blurted out randomly. There was a long silence. In fear of having touched one of Eren's nerves, he was about to take it back and apologize until Eren replied "My best friend… he was falsely accused of smuggling some serious pounds of you know… that stuff, and I just want to get him out of prison. That's the least I could owe him for all he's done for me, especially when my mom died and my dad… disappeared." Armin had no idea what to say, what to think, how to respond. Armin took his time to let it all sink in and finally mustered up the courage and carefully picked his words to ask Eren "What did he say to make you change your mind?" Eren inhaled the smoke and let the bitter-sweet smell of nicotine linger in his lungs, he blew out, then answered "He told me to work harder, devote myself, and if not, then all I've sacrificed till now would be for nothing." Eren finished as he blew on his cigarette again. "I… I'll help you." Armin said softly. "What?" Eren breathed out, unsure if what he heard was correct. Looking at his watch, Armin stood up and walked over to Eren and, stuffed a note into his hand. "See you." Armin said as he left the rooftop. Eren opened the note and read "Same time, same place" the note left Eren grinning. He finally took his first step closer to freeing Levi.


End file.
